Monitoring Energy Usage

[SolarCity]

Does anyone know of a system that can be installed which monitors energy use on seperate circuits within a home and gives data on energy usage?

I have a customer asking about it and it sounds interesting.

 

[Marvo]

I'd probably just suggest multiple Owl monitors as they're not very expensive, they're available at high-street stores and the customer should be able to install them himself..

 

[The Solar King]

Worcester has done something along these lines using Home Energy Monitor. Am looking at something similar with remote switching as well as remote monitoring using maybe a combination of HEM and Zigbee or possibly Elios4you. Still at an early stage of research.

Would welcome help from anyone with knowledge and experience of using systems for this purpose.

 

[Gavin A]

we're using the current cost ENVIR system with web bridge to upload the data to a portal. It gives you upto 8 channels, and can be used with clamps, meter LED optical readers, and socket sensors.

to do individual circuits you'd have to put the clamps around the live cable in the consumer unit, so there would probably be space limitations on how many circuits you could do that to, but we've got a system monitored that splits the monitoring into socket circuits and all other circuits. If you're going into the CU, just bring the radio transmitter units out of the CU.

can pm you the log in details to have a look at.

 

[SolarCity]

Gavin, that would be great if you wouldn't mind.

 

[solarfred]

HPS Home Energy Monitor monitors up to 12 sockets giving real time and history data. The sockets can be programmed (3) to switch loads in sequence with surplus PV power only. Alternative RF switches can be wired in to Immersion or any other powered circuit to control an appliance or lighting. Remote control of any socket from computer or monitor unit. Online monitoring is also available now and next month remote control from any computer anywhere via central server.
HPS Home Solar Energy Monitoring & Management System : HPS

 

[Digon]

HPS Home Energy Monitor monitors up to 12 sockets giving real time and history data. The sockets can be programmed (3) to switch loads in sequence with surplus PV power only. Alternative RF switches can be wired in to Immersion or any other powered circuit to control an appliance or lighting. Remote control of any socket from computer or monitor unit. Online monitoring is also available now and next month remote control from any computer anywhere via central server.
HPS Home Solar Energy Monitoring & Management System : HPS

This system looks good but it doesn't appear to measure the voltage to alter the power factor so it would be just calculating the energy from current readings.
The phase shift proportional immersion controllers can appear to be running at 80 - 100 volts sometimes so without power factor compensation you would not be able to monitor one of those.

 

[solarfred]

It is not a proportional controller it uses spare PV to run multiple devices and you set the level of power you want to use to switch earlier or use smaller immersion element. For this price there is no proportional control on the market and certainly nothing that does all this unit can do. There have been comments about the lack of accuracy which is true of any CT device at very low watts but this device is designed to use spare PV power which is unlikely to be available below 3-400 watts where it is tracking the Inverter current reading very accurately.Voltage is set at 240v by the monitor but each socket or RF switch measure voltage and current to determine the watts load on that socket/switch.